Browsing: Featured

The National Independence Day Parade takes place annually on July 4th in Washington, D.C., drawing hundreds of thousands of spectators. The massive patriotic event features invited marching bands, fife and drum corps, giant balloons, equestrian units, military displays, and celebrity participants, all celebrating America’s birthday. And this year, the Mississippi Christian University (MC) Marching Band has been selected as the only ensemble from Mississippi to perform.

There is a common misconception that art only exists in big cities, tucked inside towering museums or performed on grand stages beneath bright lights. Some people look at communities like Tupelo and see untapped potential, imagining what the arts could become here.

What in the world is the Froglevel Festival? Even better yet, where and when does it take place, because with a name like that, it must be fun. Right?

The quote “Bloom where you are planted,” has a new meaning and purpose through the Dream Foundation’s program, The Bloom…

There is no place like home, and those words come from a person who literally has seen the whole world but has chosen to return to his childhood home in Mississippi for his retirement.

The Heirloom Hotel in downtown Laurel, Mississippi, is a boutique hotel created by HGTV’s Home Town stars Erin and Ben Napier, along with their business partners. The massive restoration transformed the historic 1930s Kress department store into a 29-bedroom hotel. Unfortunately, a devastating accidental electrical fire in August 2025 heavily damaged the property, leaving the insurance claim and rebuilding process ongoing. The entire restoration and ultimate demise of the building were featured on the HGTV series Home Town: Inn This Together, starring the Napirs and the vested families, Joshua and Emily Nowell, and Jim and Mallorie Rasberry.

Just west of Oxford, a giant American flag waves above Highway 6, welcoming travelers to one of Mississippi’s most unique destinations. With palm trees lining the entrance and families arriving from across the region, Roundabout Oxford has quickly become much more than an RV park. It’s a full-scale resort designed for making memories.

If you’ve ever lived in Mississippi, chances are you’ve heard one long before you’ve seen one.

Perched on a telephone wire, hidden in a crepe myrtle, or proudly standing atop a fence post, the Northern Mockingbird has a way of making itself known. With its gray feathers, white wing flashes, and seemingly endless repertoire of songs, it’s one of the most recognizable birds in the South—and it’s been Mississippi’s official state bird since 1944.

Breanna O’Leary, an Alcorn State University graduate, is a professional NASCAR pit crew member who made sports history by breaking gender barriers in a heavily male-dominated motorsport. O’Leary’s trajectory connects her collegiate background at Alcorn State University to a trailblazing career on NASCAR’s pit road.

As I pulled into First Fruits Farm, I couldn’t help but notice how beautiful it was. Wildflowers were blooming along the drive, and row after row of blueberry bushes stretched across the property. It felt like stepping into another world. Standing there, looking across the neatly kept rows, I found myself thinking of the vineyards you see in photos from places like Italy rather than a farm tucked away in rural Mississippi.

I am somewhat ashamed to admit this, but I had no idea that Mississippi has an annual Pickle Fest. Much to my amazement, the Pickle Fest, held each year at the Mississippi Agriculture & Forestry Museum, was voted the “Best Small Festival in Mississippi” in 2022 by the Mississippi Tourism Association. No wonder it is billed as a “Kind of a Big Dill!”

A second opportunity is not given to make a first impression, so it is important that the first impression be one to remember. With I-10 as the gateway to coastal Mississippi from Alabama with more than 40,000 guests annually, there was a need to upgrade the current Mississippi Welcome Center to help create a positive impression for guests.

As a child, summers in Mississippi always included trips to some of our state parks. Those trips included hiking, swimming, boating, fishing, and lots of outdoor picnics. But my favorite memories of Mississippi state parks in the summertime involved short little getaway trips and staying in one of the park cabins with cousins and friends.

The wainscoting walls, 14-foot ceilings and heart pine floors of the Pascagoula Train depot have a story to tell, and thanks to redevelopment grants and the foresight of local developers, a new chapter is being written in the 1904 structure.

Most of us don’t spend a lot of time thinking about energy—at least not until we flip a light switch, fill up the car, charge a phone, or crank up the air conditioning during a Mississippi summer.

Native Son Farm is one of northeast Mississippi’s best treasures. Ironically, it’s also somewhat of a hidden treasure to many of the countless people who come to Tupelo, Mississippi, each week for shopping and entertainment purposes.